Act 1, Scene 1: Piece of Cake

• Setting: A nostalgic contemporary motorbike repair shop. In the left half is the actual workshop, spare parts and tools are scattered around the backdrop. A motorbike is propped up on a table/workbench, and Abraham is standing in front of it, trying to get the engine to work again. He uses a variety of tools, and he is apparently quite finished with his nerves. The right half is the customer area of the shop (entrance is [1]). There is a long counter, with advertisements on it. The backdrop has a few shelves with a variety of motor bike related wares. Tires, Headlights, Mirrors, Oil, Tools, brakes, and so on. A mechanical cash register sits on the shelf. There is a sign "Abraham French - Motorcycle supplies and repairs".
• Stage setup:
• Backdrop: contemporary motorbike repair shop that's in use [6] [7]
• Big scene elements (2nd rail):
  • table/workbench with a motorbike [5-6]
  • middle: shop counter [2-3]
• On playrail: Nothing.
• Props:
  • workshop tools + adjustable brown wrench (Jyanon)
  • motorcycle screw (Jyanon)
  • Mr. French's cake + piece of cake to eat (Lynard)
  • unsigned, then oily receipt (Lynard)
  • Abraham's toolbox
  • Cal's posters (Tigerseye)
• Special effects:
  • motorcycle smoke (Haku)
  • Florence's apron gets all dirty! (Liam)
  • the cake that Cal noms (carpet cleaning foam)
• PreRec:
• Puppets: Abraham (Runo, Luno), Florence (Pan, Liam) (coming in from [1]), Cal (Eisfuchs, Tigerseye)

TECH PREROLL

LX 0099 - Work Light OFF (Static Playbacks)

LX 1100 - STANDBY for GO (Link LX 0002 - DBO with dim blue reading light)

Double Check Recording!
Check Levels
Unmute Desk

Runo: ON

Pan: OFF
Eisfuchs: OFF

DIALOG

Curtain - open

AMB 0101 - Workshop

LX 1110 - Lights on

Abraham fiddles around with his tools in front of the motorcycle

Abraham walks around the table to the front

MUS 0101 - Cue 1

Abraham: "Come on, baby, I know you can do it!"

Abraham cranks the starter lever with his hands (even if that's unrealistic)

SND 0101 - Failed Start, Screw Pops Off

A screw pops off

Abraham: "Huh. Maybe that screw was in the way? Good riddance to bad rubbish. Now, let's try that again."

Abraham cranks the lever again

SND 0102 - Engine sputters, and runs

MUS 0102 - Cue 2

Abraham: "Hah, I knew it! Screw you, stupid screw! YES!"

SND 0102 (cont.) - Explosion / erratically running engine

Abraham jumps back

Abraham: "I mean, NO!"

Sparks and little explosions are coming from the engine, and an ENORMOUS amount of smoke erupts from the muffler.

Abraham: "Nonononono! Stop!"

Abraham reaches for the key, and stops the engine.

SND 0102 (cont.) - Engine stops with a funny noise.

Smoke stops

Abraham: "*cough* *cough* *cough* *cough*"

Pan: ON

SND 0103 - Jingly door bell (Enter)

Florence comes in, wearing a neat and tidy white apron, carrying a box with a cake.

Florence: "Cake delivery for Mr French! *cough* *cough* *cough* What's with the smoke? Did you try to bake one yourself?"

MUS 0103 - Cue 3 (on "smoke")

Abraham: "*cough* No no, it's just this piece of junk that almost blew up on me. Come in, come in; is that the cake I ordered?"

Abraham starts walking over to Florence

Florence carefully puts the box on the counter, while she says …

MUS 0104 - Cue 4

Florence: "Yes, if your name is Abraham French, this is your double layer vanilla cream cake."

Abraham: "With cherry on top?"

Florence: "Just like you ordered, sir! Would you be so kind as to sign the receipt?"

Abraham: "Absolutely! Let me find a clean cloth to wipe my hands."

Florence: "A pawprint will do, mister French."

Florence holds up the receipt

SND 0104 - Paper Rustle

Abraham puts his pawprint on the receipt

SND 0105 - Splat

MUS 0105 - Cue 5

Florence looks at the receipt, holding it up so that the audience can see it. It shows a very oily pawprint, with oil dripping down from it.

Florence: "I think that'll do. Thank you very much for shopping with Harrington's, purveyors to Her Highness the Queen of Astar."

Florence curtsies

Abraham: "I appreciate the speedy delivery, Miss. The Hazelwoods will be coming over for tea and the cake is a surprise!"

Florence: "I'm sure they will love it! Good day Mr. French, and best regards to the Hazelwoods!"

Abraham: "Byebye!"

Florence leaves

SND 0106 - Jingly door bell (Exit)

Wait a second :)

SND 0107 - Jingly door bell (Enter)

Florence comes back in.

Florence: "Umh. So sorry Mr. French, I couldn't help but notice … what happened to the poor bike?"

MUS 0106 - Cue 6

Abraham: "Oh … something's wrong with the engine. Nothing a woman would understand."

Florence walks over to the bike

Florence: "The HW-22 is the first of the series with the new four stroke engine, and the lubrication system can be a bit finnicky. If you have a 12mm wrench, I can show you what I mean …"

Abraham (confused): "Uhm … It's … in the toolbox … are you sure you can … I mean …"

Florence examines the engine, knocking it with the end of the wrench (UNTIL SFX STOPS)

SND 0108 - TingTingTing

Florence: "A-ha! The oil line check valve is stuck on open. That's typical. This engine hasn't been run in a while, has it?"

Florence screws around with the wrench (UNTIL SFX STOPS)

SND 0109 - grinka-grinka-grinka

Abraham: "Why yes, the winter's been too harsh to take her for a ride."

Change Florence's apron for a dirty one (or peel off the clean layer), put a wrench into the apron

Florence cranks the starting lever

SND 0110 - Motorbike starts

MUS 0107 - Cue 7

Florence: "Purring like a kitten!"

Abraham: "Growling like a tigress, more like. How did you do that?"

MUS 0108 - Cue 8

Florence: "Something was wrong with the engine. Nothing a man would understand."

Florence stops the engine

SND 0111 - Motor stops

SND 0110 (FADE)

Abraham: "Well played young Miss, well played. Pardon my saying so, but aren't your talents being wasted delivering cakes?"

Florence: "You're very kind, but my mother needs all the help she can get in the pastry shop."

Abraham: "Wait a minute … are you the daughter of Peter Harrington? Of Harrington & Welsh?"

MUS 0109 - Cue 9

Florence: "Not any more. On both counts."

Abraham: "Miss Harrington - your father literally invented the airplane! And clearly the same grease runs through your veins."

Florence: "As a child, I wanted to be an engineer! But after father's accident … Mother never got over the loss. She sold our part of the company to Mr. Welsh and I had to promise her to never set foot in a workshop again. Well, unless I'm delivering cakes!"

Eisfuchs: ON

SND 0112 - Jingly door bell (Enter)

MUS 0110 - Cue 10

Cal bursts in

Cal: "Hey, French! You gotta put this poster in your window! It's from Mr. Welsh!"

Abraham: "What in earth's name, Cal! Can't you see I'm having a conversation? Put the bloody thing on the counter, and bugger off!"

MUS 0111 - Cue 11 ("what they've found")

Cal: "Mr. Welsh says you gotta to put it up right now! The trans-oceanic expedition has returned, and you won't believe what they've found! There's going to be a big show, brass band, moving pictures, the whole shebang! For a few bucks we'll give you a tour of the airship, and of course our special attraction: The Beast from another world!"

MUS 0112 - Cue 12 ("special attraction")

Florence: "Oh! Can I have a poster too? My father designed that airship!"

Cal laughs out loud

Cal: "Girl, we're not running a charity! Printing these costs money!"

Florence: "I'll put it in the window of our pastry shop! I promise!"

Cal: "Pastry Shop? Does that mean you brought me cake?"

Florence: "No!"

Cal: "And what's this?"

Cal walks up to the box, and opens it.

Florence: "That one's for Mr. French! Keep your dirty paws off!"

Cal takes a wedge of cake out of the box

MUS 0113 - Cue 13

Cal: "Hmmm…. nomnomnom."

Florence (outraged): "Hey! What do you think you're doing!"

Cal eats the piece of cake cookie monster style

Cal: "Hmmm…. so delicious and moist."

Florence (outraged): "Mr. French paid for that cake! You can't just come in and eat it!"

Cal: "And watcha gonna do about it? See you next Saturday at the show!"

Cal puts a poster on the counter and leaves the room (piece of cake still in his hand).

Cal: "Nom nom nom…."

SND 0113 - Jingly door bell (Exit)

Eisfuchs: OFF

Florence: "HOW RUDE WAS THAT?!"

Abraham: "Well, if that's Mr. Welsh's new charm offensive, I see a lot of room for improvement!

MUS 0114 - Cue 14

Florence (empathic): "I'm not going to let that sucker ruin your day. I'll get you a new cake, and if I have to make it myself. Will 4 o'clock still be fine?"

Abraham (chuckles): "No no no, don't worry, it wasn't your fault, and there's still more left than we can eat."

Florence: "Are you sure?"

Abraham: "Absolutely. And if you'd like to get your paws dirty again, you're more than welcome to come back after work. Or how about Saturday night?"

Florence (scandalized): "I beg your pardon!?"

Abraham (stuttering): "Damn, that came out all wrong, didn't it? I mean the exhibition. I think we'd have a great time together. Us. Two engineers at heart. You know what I mean."

MUS 0115 - Cue 15

Florence: "I don't think Mother would allow that."

Abraham: "You're a grown up woman, can't you go wherever you want?"

Florence: "I wonder what you're really interested in: The airship or me?"

Abraham: "A little bit of both."

Florence: "*chuckles* I see. But what about your wife?"

Abraham: "Clarice? Oh, pistons and crankshafts would have bored her to death."

Florence: "Would have?"

Abraham: "She's no longer with me. Hasn't been for a long time."

Florence: "Oh … I'm so sorry to hear that!"

Abraham: "Life must go on, doesn't it?"

Florence: "Absolutely. You know what? I think I'll bite. Saturday at 9 then?"

Abraham: "Yes! Excellent!"

MUS 0116 - Cue 16

Florence: "Looking forward to lots of pistons and crankshafts, Mr. French!"

Abraham: "Me too! See you soon!"

Florence: "Bye!"

Florence turns around and leaves.

SND 0114 - Jingly door bell (Exit)

AMB 0101 - (FADE)

LX1199 - Lights out

Fade Ambience, SFX and Music with LX 1199

Curtain - close

Mute all but Video

LX 0099 - Work Light ON (Static Playbacks)